Plot Points #62 💌
High church, phonics, festive outfits, and a murder van
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Hey friends and happy Friday!
I hope my American friends had a lovely Thanksgiving last week. I cooked all morning and we ate a meal together at home, just the four of us, before we went to visit family on Friday. I still haven’t quite gotten over how much closer we are to everyone. A drive that used to take us at least an hour and a half, if traffic was decent (in Atlanta, ha!) is now about 35-40 minutes max. The kids and I even managed to beat my mother to my sister’s house, which was previously unthinkable as my mom likes to arrive to events about an hour earlier than the start time. It’s the little things in life…
Speaking of, we finally have a working fireplace! Our first home, built in 1946, had the cutest little baby fireplace, but it was all cracked inside the chimney and we could never use it. Then we bought an electric fireplace for our last home, which was lovely but not nearly as delightful as the real thing. And now, BEHOLD!
*SWOON* Reading Little Women by the fire is my new favorite pastime.
Thank you for spending some of your time with me today! I hope you all have a beautiful weekend.
Grace + peace,
Wendi
Word of the Week ✍🏻
Nelipot: (n.) One who walks barefoot.
Point #1: Low church disillusionment is real.
I had no idea when we converted to the Anglican church last year just how common these sorts of low-to-high church conversions have become in recent years. I wrote about why we left evangelicalism here and the latest from
highlights perfectly why so many of us are making the switch: “Where some may see ‘religion’ in the high church, the disillusioned see reverence, holiness, and piety, and it draws them in. They are done with an emotionally charged faith that bends to their desires. They are seeking stabler ground.”Point #2: Sometimes the internet is an answered prayer.
My science-minded, hands-on, curious little boy is not really one for worksheets. While our co-op has certainly been teaching him many wonderful things, Theo has been struggling to really connect with words on the page the way his sister did. I prayed God would grant me the wisdom to teach our son right where he is (the very reason I wanted to homeschool!) and voila! The algorithm suggested this helpful post from on the value of old-school phonics. Can’t wait to share these books with Theo.
Point #3: “Toxicity is in the dosage.”
It’s easy to get panicked about microplastics and the havoc they wreak on our bodies and environment, but there are easy ways to reduce our daily dosage. I loved reading this post with lots of helpful tips that are both simple and beautiful. Some of these items would make great Christmas gifts, too!
Point #4: We have more in common than we think.
Pro-choice or pro-life, I’ll bet you want more for women and children than what is currently on the table. Paid maternity and paternity leave, childcare that doesn’t cost a mortgage payment, sex education where women can truly learn how their bodies function—these are topics we all care about and, once again, hits the nail on the head. While she and I are both staunchly pro-life in our views here, I think there is something in her post that will resonate with every woman.
Bonus Point: I wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.
Receipts from a No-Buy Year 🧾
After many efforts made to conjure a festive party outfit from my existing wardrobe, plus a few unsuccessful trips to Goodwill, I finally caved and bought this dress from Amazon. We’re going out to Pierce’s holiday work party tonight and both of us were sadly lacking in festive attire until this week. My niece joked that it must have “killed your spirit a little” to buy from The Machine (she’s not wrong), but credit where credit is due and all that because I do look amazing in my polyester “velvet.”
Amazon Dress: $56.99
I also bought myself and Lucy Starbucks one afternoon while we were out running errands. But I’m finally getting a bit sick of it. Only took me twelve whole months of the year…
Coffee: $11.69
One of the ways I’ve tried to save money is by doing what the serious savers call “gamifying” my life. I use rewards points wherever I can or plan around what’s on sale that week to create meal ideas. Yesterday, I used Kroger points for gas and filled up my tank for only $2.50 a gallon. It’s like 2006 over here!
I realize many people have been using coupons or rewards systems for their entire adult lives, but this year has shown me just how much I don’t understand about economics or how to take advantage of the market as a consumer. I can make a good budget and thrift like a champ, but true financial savvy is a long way off. It can’t just be about not spending; I’m eager to learn more about how to use our money in the wisest ways possible for future generations. If you have recs for this topic who are not Dave Ramsey, please send them my way!
Weekly Total: $68.68
Reading in The Nook 📚
After I finished sobbing my way through The Boy Who Followed His Father Into Auschwitz, I started reading my vintage copy of Little Women again. It’s the perfect time of year for a deep dive into one of the coziest books ever written. I told Lucy that if she ever gives me grandbabies I want to be called Marmee. Make a note.
I’m also reading The Unquiet Bones by Loreth Anne White (love the title!), a multi-POV thriller centered around the discovery of a teenage girl’s long-buried body and the six friends who built their adult lives on secrets surrounding her death and disappearance. I particularly enjoy the POV of Jane, the pregnant homicide detective whose own fiancé went missing on a hike months before. It’s got so much to unpack, but White does it with aplomb.
What are you reading right now? 👇🏻
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“The scariest moment is always right before you start.”
—Stephen King—
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I found the low church, high church post so interesting! I was raised Catholic then my mom switched to evangelicalism when I was in high school so we all switched with her. I stopped going in my 20s and haven’t found a physical church that’s felt right since. I never thought to revisit the high church but it’s definitely something to think about.
(Also, I used this book to teach both my girls to read https://a.co/d/7Xdnv06)
Little women by the fire!!! Yes, swoon indeed 🥰🥰